Mother-Child and Father-Child Relationships in Emerging Adults from Divorced and Non-Divorced Families

Klara Smith-Etxeberria,Amaia Eceiza

doi:10.3390/socsci10100382

Klara Smith-Etxeberria, Amaia Eceiza

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10100382

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Journal: Social Sciences	Publication Date: Oct 13, 2021
Citations: 2	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of the Basque Country

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to analyze the associations between parental divorce and interparental conflict with the quality of parent-child relationships. Specifically, we analyzed trust, communication and alienation in both father-child and mother-child relationships in a sample of 1078 Spanish emerging adults from divorced and non-divorced families. The interaction between parental divorce and conflict was also analyzed. In support of our expectations, parental divorce was associated with lower trust and communication, along with higher alienation in father-child and mother-child relationships. When interparental conflict was included, parental conflict was more strongly associated with lower trust and communication in mother-child relationships, and higher alienation in both mother-child and father-child relationships. However, parental divorce was still associated with low trust and communication with fathers, when interparental conflict and the interaction between parental divorce and conflict were added. In summation, our results suggest that both parental divorce and conflict should be taken into account in the study of the consequences of family-related stress variables on adult children’s wellbeing. These findings add to the current literature and contribute to better comprehend the effects of parental divorce and conflict on both mother-child and father-child affective relationships in an understudied cultural context. The implications, limitations and future research recommendations are discussed.

Highlights

Divorce is one of the most stressful life events, bringing several emotional, affective, and social consequences for the divorcing couple and their children (Garrido-Rojas et al.2021)
By investigating the role that parental divorce and interparental conflict play in young adult children’s affective relationships quality with their parents, we aimed to contribute to the literature in several ways
Parental divorce was associated with lower trust and communication with both the mother and father and positively with alienation in father-child relationships

Summary

Introduction

Divorce is one of the most stressful life events, bringing several emotional, affective, and social consequences for the divorcing couple and their children (Garrido-Rojas et al.2021). Many studies have documented the short-term effects of parental divorce on children and adolescents, such as internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, lower academic achievement, poor physical health, higher risk for mental health, or attachment insecurity (Afifi and McManus 2010; Altenhofen et al 2010; Baert and Van der Straeten 2021; Weaver and Schofield 2015). A great body of research suggests that parental divorce is associated with negative outcomes on adult children, such as lower educational and occupational attainment (Larson and Halfon 2013), lower wellbeing (Amato 2001; Huurre et al 2006), insecure attachment styles (Fraley and Heffernan 2013), poor marital quality (Amato 2001), higher divorce rates (Amato 2001), mental and physical health problems (Schaan et al 2019; Tullius et al 2021), and less secure parent-child relationships (Amato 2001; Cui and Fincham 2010; Feeney and Monin 2016). Divorce rates have increased dramatically, from 0.6 annual divorces per 1000 inhabitants in 1990 to 2.0 per 1000 inhabitants in 2018 (Eurostat, Statistical Office of the European Communities 2020)

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